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Monthly Archives: July 2013

ZSMJ recently made an appearance on the ZSMJ Tieba on Baidu. He asked for people in Hangzhou to come play basketball with him, and also answered some questions in the thread — some of the answers are really excellent and insightful. And sometimes, even hilarious. Who knew, ZSMJ is a comedian too? Additionally, it was revealed that his salary at VG is 5000 RMB a month and his compensation also includes rent and food (not bad at all). Give this one a read!

Q: About the move to the 4 positionZSMJ: Because the team has lacked results for this whole time, I’ve been very frustrated. Our individual skills are all not bad, yet we just can’t seem to achieve any results. So I thought that maybe I could switch to the 4 spot, maybe this is the final step before we make that breakthrough in our team’s growth. In Fy’s daily training, I’ve noticed that he has a lot of potential in playing the carry role, so we decided to give it a try, and as such, the team is currently in a new build-up phase. The ultimate result of this experiment I do not know yet, but I can only do my best. One must change, adapt, and strive, in order to not have any regrets later on. I’ve always been very focused on following my dreams, so thank you to those who have supported me and helped me all along my journey.

Q: We heard that, before your comeback, you had preferred the quiet lifestyle of retirement from esports, that being on the computer all day was really bad for your health. So what was it that brought you back to all this again?ZSMJ: I think it was my dreams, I wasn’t satisfied. I thirst for a championship title to prove myself. And I do really like Dota and Dota 2, there’s a very deep emotional attachment. As for computer-related activities and how they relate to my health, I say that because whenever I play professionally, my health and physical state tend to deteriorate. I’ve had surgery before, because of the drain that it has had on my body. That’s also why I’m so skinny. During my retirement, I had manage to gain a few kilograms, and my acne cleared up. But now I’m right back to around 50 kg, and have acne all over my face.

Q: There’s been widespread flaming of CTY for all sorts of problems, what do you think? What is your opinion of CTY?ZSMJ: CTY is an extremely talented and skillful individual player. But because of a lack of experience, so currently his play isn’t reliable enough, and he lacks some understanding of how to play the mid and late game scenarios. I believe that with time, he will improve on all these things. Everyone has their weaknesses, so going on and on about one new player’s weaknesses really isn’t doing any favors for the Chinese scene in terms of finding new talent. We should all look for their strengths, and help them develop. I myself am a player with relatively stronger execution, relatively weak leadership, so the team isn’t directed by me. Thus, people end up flaming CTY since the focus in that falls on him. Perhaps if I had a stronger pesronality to take on that role instead, it could be better for everyone, so I will also work hard on that.

Q: Outside of training, what kinds of things do you do for fun?ZSMJ: Lately due to the lack of achievements, I’ve been feeling the pressure of needing to achieve some results, so apart from training everyday, it’s just sleep. I feel like I’ve met a bottleneck myself, so I’ve really been frustrated~~ I don’t know how to solve it. In the past, while playing professionally, I would go work out, go to the movies, and also play basketball. Are there any groups playing basketball near the Xihu District in Hangzhou? Call me~

Q: As a fan of yours since I started playing Dota, I’ve always liked you. Now that you’re switching to the 4 role, I’m all sorts of emotional, but also hope that you can achieve success with this. Will there be a chance for you to return to the carry role in the future? What circumstances would have to be met for this to happen?ZSMJ: My switch to the 4 is not because I personally want to play the 4 role, but because it’s something to try to help the team’s needs. If there isn’t any success from this attempt, then I will go back to playing carry. I’m just looking for a way to break through. Whatever ends up suiting our needs is what we’ll do!

Q: Do you have a girlfriend? If you’re looking, then would you prefer one that plays Dota? What other things would you look for in a girl?ZSMJ: No girlfriend. I don’t like girls that play Dota. I don’t want a public bus (everyone gets a ride), and they must have great figure! Large chest! Can cook and clean, house worthy, loyal and doesn’t mind that I’m poor. Due to the fact that these girls do not exist on this planet, I’ve thus gone on the path of homosexuality. I have many boy friends. I like chubby ones, ones with lots of meat on their bones. If you meet these requirements, I only say this: Please contact me.

Q: Your item hotkeysZSMJ: ` – 2 – F2 – TAB – Q – F3

Q: What is your ideal lifestlye? Your fans are often categorized as hardcore fans, or braindead fans, etc. What do you think about this? What kind of porn do you like? I’ll PM you some of whatever it is.ZSMJ: My ideal life is to have a home, have a car, have a woman, and have a kid. The home doesn’t need to be large, the child as long as it is mine, is fine, and as long as the car moves, we’re good. The woman doesn’t need to be beautiful, as long as she’s good to me, then that’s great.

As for fans, I feel it’s pretty nice. I love my fans, no matter what kind you are. I’ve always believed that true support comes in the form of its steadfastness. For me, I haven’t won much in the past year or two, yet regardless of my own poor performances or change of teams, my fans have always supported me. I grew up in the village with my grandma, never received much in the way of a formal education. My parents didn’t pay much attention to me. So the kinds of emotions and relationships that I have from my fans are things that I truly appreciate, it’s just like family, and I really love it. Each and every thanks I say to you all, I fully mean it. I just wanna say, even though I may not be the greatest Dota star, but I am someone worthy of all your support. I believe that I will one day stand up top with title in hand.

As for porn, I haven’t watched any in ages. I’m old… Plus, it’s a waste of tissue — I’m poor, can’t afford that stuff.

Q: What is your relation with 2009 like? Always been curious; is it a tale of two brothers fighting alongside each other, or a Shakespearean story of brotherly love?ZSMJ: Without 2009, there wouldn’t have been FTD, and wouldn’t have been today’s LGD. I really respect 9-god, and appreciate him. He’s a business genius. At the time of our departures, it wasn’t anything about anyone abandoning the other, more that he just had made the decision to leave LGD. Now it looks like he made the right decision, because nowadays 2009 is doing quite well.

When I first started playing professionally, I didn’t understand anything, I was just a raw kid on the scene. 2009 was a 20-something college student, for him to bring us all along and up through the scene all in the name of chasing our dreams, it couldn’t have been easy for him.

SGamer: Hello LongDD, thank you for the interview. As a top 10 ranked player in the previous season, you’ve gone even further this season to place first. How do you feel?LongDD: I’ve actually had a top 4 in the past. Anyway, it’s great. I’ve been participating in CDEC since a few years ago, but never got first, because in the past I didn’t have the time to play much CDEC, but now I’ve finally done it.

SG: Compared to last season, this season’s top 10 sees far fewer professional players, and the overall amount of games has decreased as well, why do you think that is?LongDD: They’ve all gone to play at events, of course, so that’s why there aren’t as many professional players.

SG: The lack of professional players should mean that there is room for newcomers to prove themselvess. Have you paid attention to any particularly talented players here?LongDD: I think that xiaohong guy plays decently. Others I really haven’t paid much attention to.

SG:What are the main differences you see between pub games, competitive games, and in-house games?LongDD: Pub games see different item choices that you wouldn’t see in CDEC, plus there is no points-based ranking system.

SG: TongFu won the DSL title — what do you think about their rise to power?LongDD: I like the atmosphere they have at TongFu, lots of passion in their game. I can only say that TI3 is right in front of them, and if they want to achieve success then they must continue working hard.

SG: iG of late has been mired in a crisis, why do you think that is, and how do you think they should go about resolving it? Can [their new coach] 121 help them get back to their invincible old selves?LongDD: iG’s main difference is that they’ve lost their confidence. So then they don’t even know what their strongest points are anymore.

SG: With iG’s fall and TongFu’s rise, what are your views on the current scene amongst Chinese teams? Which team is the strongest right now?LongDD: Currently I think LGD has the best chance, they’ve been the most stable in recent times.

SG: TI3 is a mere few weeks away. Compared to last year, which team do you think has changed the most since TI2?LongDD: Surely it is iG. Their current form is so worrisome, but I hope they can get out from it soon.

SG: Compared to last year, it would seem that this year, Western teams will come much better prepared. Alliance and NaVi both came to China and played excellently, what are your views on these two teams? Can they dominate TI3 and defeat the Chinese teams?LongDD: I can only say, that there’s a chance of it. But I still favor the Chinese teams.

SG: How should the Chinese teams go about defeating these top tier Western teams? What should they do to counter the flexibility that these Western teams show in drafting?LongDD: Learn, they must learn and analyze their strategies. Chinese teams should be good at that, learning.

SG: Even though you’re no longer playing professionally, you still stream frequently via YY, and have spent a lot of time playing in CDEC and pub games. What exactly do you think has brought so many viewers to your streams of these games?LongDD: I think because I’m fairly interesting… and there’s still some professionalism about me, yeah!

SG: You’re a very experienced veteran pro player, and you’ve also shown that you can take on the role of a coach. Simultaneously, you also seem to be a very popular streamer. So given the choice, would you lean towards being involved in the pro scene, or as a streamer?LongDD: If there’s a chance, I’d rather continue playing professionally. This is also the reason I continue to play every day.

SG: You’ve played with both DK and TongFu, and also put in some good performances in a short stint with LGD. Is it safe to say that you still possess the drive needed to be a competitive player? Which team would you favor joining, why?LongDD: If I had the chance, I would still want to go back to the traditional Big 3 teams, and go for another championship.

SG: Thank you for your time. Anything to say to fans?LongDD: I hope you all will give me your support.

Long story short, Royal Club’s Dota 2 squad, which was picked up less than two months ago, is no more. The Dota 2 manager made a statement thanking Royal Club, but questioned the timing of the decision, stating that it came too quickly, and that their players are good players with good potential, and merely need more time. As such, the team is looking for sponsors once again, and it was mentioned that they really thirst for an opportunity to truly prove themselves.

Royal Club’s manager, Fantasy, said that the decision was made because they could not see a future for Dota 2 as a game, and that it had nothing to do with the team itself. Either way, apparently ECL 2013 was the event in which the new Dota 2 club was expected to achieve results in, and their lack of results there sealed the decision. However, the club’s statement that they “don’t have hope for Dota 2 as a game” is a questionable one. This much is clear, though: Royal Club’s priorities lie elsewhere, at least for now, and their brief fling with the players — Hanci, 5400, xiaosi, yim, and SN — comprising the team is now at an end.

In this, VG.Fy, the solo mid tournament champion at ECL 2013, talks about the win, what it was like playing against BurNing in the tourney, what’s important to him, and more~~

Replays.NET: Fy, hello, welcome to this interview with Replays.net. In the solo finals here at ECL, you defeated teammate CTY to become champion. Have you guys practiced any Shadow Fiend solos against each other before?VG.Fy: In DotA yes, but not in Dota 2.

RN: Many people say that Shadow Fiend feels greatly different in Dota 2, what do you think?VG.Fy: I personally think that it feels a little different, but once you’re used to it then it’s all the same.

RN: In the semi-finals of the solo tournament, you defeated B-God. According to DK’s manager, Farseer, back when PIS was still part of BurNing, B-god had never once lost a Shadow Fiend mid solo against PIS. Yet you managed to win against BurNing, can you talk about this matchup?VG.Fy: B-god is really good. He’s played carry for such a long time, so his mechanics are immaculate. But perhaps it was because he hadn’t played mid much in a long while, even though he was ahead for a long time in terms of last hits, I still managed to seize on a mistake he made to get a kill, and thus caught back up.

RN: Let’s chat about yourself, when did you first start playing Dota?VG.Fy: From version 6.59, and I liked the game from first contact.

RN: What led you to playing professionally?VG.Fy: I achieved a small level of skill in playing Dota, and took quite a few online tournament titles. So the decision to play professionally is something of an answer to myself, to my time invested, and to my friends and family — so I have something to show, for all their support of me.

RN: Before you started playing professionally, what was your main role?VG.Fy: Mainly leaned towards carry-core type roles. After coming to VG, the team needed to me to play support, and it was something I was willing to give a try.

RN: What was the transition like from carry to support?VG.Fy: There have been doubts in the past of my ability. As for the transition itself, I can only say that support skill comes with time.

RN: Have you practiced on any specific heroes, then?VG.Fy: Basically none, unless it’s a hero that I’m absolutely terrible with, in which case I do.

RN: In this ECL, with your team against iG, your Windrunner was a bright point. In prior matches as well, your support has often seen flashy play. Can you share with us your secret in playing such a flashy support role?VG.Fy: For a support to be a bright spot, it’s still reliant on the team. For example against iG, the only reason my Windrunner had room to execute in that fashion was because we had some tanky core heroes up front in teamfights first and foremost.

RN: You lost to DK in the quarter finals, what do you think caused this loss?VG.Fy: The reason was probably due to the fact that we did not sufficiently prepare before the match, we didn’t analyze how to counter DK.

RN: Was it because, while DK has TI3 to prepare for, you guys do not, so you skipped preparing for them?VG.Fy: I think it was just our own problem. We could’ve done more specific preparations beforehand, but we didn’t.

RN: Do you feel that with this solo tournament title under your belt, you at least have some individual achievement to speak of?VG.Fy: This isn’t really very important to me. And maybe it was because I got lucky, because CTY’s solo is a bit better than mine.

RN: Then what is important to you?VG.Fy: I feel, to be able to achieve a good result with the team at an important event, that is most important.

RN: What do you think VG is capable of achieving, in this quest to prove yourselves?VG.Fy: We want to strive for top 3 in the next ACE League.

RN: What do you think are your team’s biggest strengths and weaknesses right now?VG.Fy: Weakness is that we aren’t focused enough, and we don’t have strong match mentalities, thus our performances at offline events are unsteady. Strengths are that each of our players has good individual skill, and our teamwork and communications are all decent.

RN: This should be your first experience at an offline event where so much trash talk is flying around, both between fans and players, and players themselves… How did you feel?VG.Fy: Speaking for myself, this stuff doesn’t have any effect on me, because I think I’m the type of player that remains calm.

RN: Then do you have any views on whether or not to use soundproof booths?VG.Fy: Not having them should be okay, except if the opponent is DK, then they should be used.

RN: You’re very handsome, are there any worries that people pay attention to you because of how you look, instead of how you play?VG.Fy: I will prove myself to them!

RN: Thank you Fy for the interview with us, any last words for everyone?VG.Fy: Thank you to those that support us, thank you to ECL, and I wish Replays.net everlasting success.

RN: Starting off, let’s talk about why your team only arrived at ECL on the third day?
RSnake.LaNm:We have two players who have never been to America, so the day before they had to go for the visa interview. ECL organizers were understanding of this and arranged for all our matches to be pushed back to the third day.

RN: On the third day your team had to play five consecutive matches, did this affect your performance at all?RSnake.LaNm: Not too greatly, though we still didn’t manage to get the results that we wanted, so the hope was to improve later on in the elimination stages.

RN: So RattleSnake has not entered their best form, so to speak?RSnake.LaNm:Yeah, we’re still adjusting.

RN: In the first two days, you made some cameos as a commentator during matches, and many viewers noted that your commentary was excellent. What do you think?RSnake.LaNm: I feel that most professional players will have a great understanding of the bigger picture. Plus, I’m usually talk a lot within the team, so I have practice in this regard.

RN: Would you consider becoming a caster/commentator in the future?RSnake.LaNm:If the chance is there, then yes, but for now I’m still concentrating on achieving better results in my playing career.

RN: Of course, your Tiny at TI2 left us all a great impression with the comeback win, can you tell us about some of what was going on behind the scenes at the time?RSnake.LaNm: At the time, only in the few minutes where the comeback was on the verge did I feel the adrenaline rushing. For the rest of that game, I was calm and collected, completely in a competitor’s mindset, I didn’t think of anything else, and didn’t think about what people might say or think after a potential comeback win. Also, because our team at the time had practiced this strategy many times, the whole team had the belief that if we held out long enough, we would be able to win it.

RN: There’s an image online from a foreign website reviewing your team, giving you guys an 8 out of 10 in creativity, but only 1 or 2 in all other aspects, do you think this is an honest appraisal?RSnake.LaNm: I think that maybe this website is trying to bait pageviews… because even though our team does indeed have relatively strong innnovative abilities, it’s not actually that great, plus, I feel that if a team did have good creativity, then their other aspects couldn’t possibly only be 1 or 2 points out of ten.

RN: The roles within your team aren’t very set, and you yourself sometimes switch between solo mid and the 4 spot, why?RSnake.LaNm: Mainly it’s due to the fact that our play style isn’t particularly set upon any one style, then it’s that our players’ strengths have their differences. For example, Kabu, his offensive ability might be a 9 out of 10, but his defense might only be a 1 or 2. To put it simply, he doesn’t know how to babysit someone. So heroes like Clockwerk are suited for him, yet a counter-initiating Naga Siren wouldn’t suit him. Thus, sometimes I make cameo appearances on Visage, Enchantress, and Chen, as a bit of a substitute player in those situations.

RN: Talk a bit about your hopes and predictions for TI3?RSnake.LaNm: TI3 is definitely going to see every team doing their utmost to win, us included. We just want to play to our standards and not leave any regrets.

RN: Lastly, some words for fans?RSnake.LaNm: Thank you for all your support for us, and if I get the chance in the future, I will make more vods for you all.